BMW preliminary evaluation PE10020
Sticky Steering. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the steering on 3 model years (2003–2005). Opened Jun 28, 2010, closed Jun 28, 2011 after 12 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedODI has evaluated the sticky steering condition, which included reviews of complaints and warranty claims, interviews and surveys of owners of complaint vehicles, road tests of complaint vehicles, and a review of BMW's engineering and test data. ODI found the sticky steering condition does not result in a significant steering effort, thus the impact on the driver's ability to control the vehicle does not appear to be significant. A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists. The agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances. See the attached report for additional information. In addition, during this investigation, ODI became aware of allegations of failure or loss of electric power-assisted steering on the subject vehicles. As a result, ODI is separately reviewing this issue to determine whether additional agency action is needed.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2003 BMW Z4; 2004 BMW Z4; 2005 BMW Z4.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE10020 a recall?
No. A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is PE10020 still open?
No. It closed on Jun 28, 2011 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE10020 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 3 model years: 2003 BMW Z4, 2004 BMW Z4, 2005 BMW Z4. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.